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Capitola City Beach
Rating Details »
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
18 reviews for Capitola City Beach
CAPITOLA FUN FACT #423
Sea lions are not actual lions. Still they will not give you a ride if you get stuck under the pier.
Beach is cool. Lots of sand, smells like kelp. Everything in order here.
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Four years ago, I put my cats in carry-on luggage, boarded a flight, and made my move from Boston to the Bay Area. Neither has been the same since, for obviously different reasons. Boston wonders how it can live without me, while the Bay Area wonders what the hell it did to deserve me.
For the first 2 months after I moved here, I spent almost every day at Capitola Beach. It became my home away from living with my mother. For someone who grew up in a landlocked state, this might have been a little weird, but unlike the "beaches" of my youth (Zephyr Cove and Sand Harbor), this beach is intimate and has everything I need.
In the past, it has gotten crowded, but I can always find a spot to plant my lily white ass here and get my Vitamin D, and it's not a bad place for a novice surfer.
Little tip- instead of trying to get to the beach through the opening at the end of the esplanade, go through the little space between Zelda's and what is right this second a new Thai place. It will dump you out near the lifeguard stand, kind of in the middle of the beach, and you won't have to trek through the "creek" with all your gear.
I'll be the blindingly white sexy bitch languishing on the sand.
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I've been here several times before with good experiences. Unfortunately the annoyances started to add up on an easy breezy Sunday. First of all parking is insane. There are a couple of small unconnected parking lots. Your best bet is to park five or more blocks away within the residential area for unlimited parking. Better yet, get here early.
The shops are your usual assortment of beach tourist shops. Nothing really special. But you're here for the beach right?
I don't remember there being so much seaweed! There was a ton of seaweed in the water and on the shore. It doesn't help when there are a billion flies hovering over certain patches of sun scorched seaweed. I don't really mind the stuff, but it can awkwardly wrap around your body when you're in the water. I wouldn't trust my kids to go deep in the water.
The beach is okay. Underneath the water are a lot of coarse rocks and mangled seaweed. If you have water shoes you might want to bring them. Note there aren't any rinsing stations.
The amount of children was a bit chaotic. I get that it's labor day weekend but wow, this was like the complete television run of "Rugrats". Please don't let your kids run naked all over the beach.
Even though I still had a pleasant time with the live music and nice people, I long for a beach formed more by nature than by man. Driving this far out you'd expect some kind of solace. Instead Capitola gives me the same feeling as Halloween time in the Castro.
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Tourist, sea weed and no dogs?
no thanks.
Talk about life is a beach. I came here around noon and it was packed with so many locals that it blew me away. There were at least 3 groups of little tots training to become life guards. Each group had about 25 to 35 or so kids! Wholly molly man! It was like all the kids in town wanted to become life guards. Interesting...
I did not come out here for the beach but came here to try out a new sport. Surfing. There is a booth that rents out wetsuits and boards right on by the rest room. $85 for private lessons with all the gears. $65 for a group lesson.
The swells were quite nice today. Just remember that if you are here to surf to stick to the right of the rocks. The waves will kick butt if they find you on the left. And believe me, shots of salt water are not what you want to take. Whew...tough sport man but will have to try it again.
They have music that is constantly playing. A really relaxing, fun atmosphere place to be. And the shops are walking distance. I chose to sun burn bathing on the beach. Ouch!
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I use to run around naked at this beach when I was just a wee one. I can honestly say I grew up at Capitola beach. It's a total tourist trap which isn't always fun as a local, but great if you're visiting.
Tons of shops and restaurants right off the beach in the esplanade. The best part is there are a few killer bars just steps away from the beach. Perfect way to end a day at the beach and kick off a night at the bar.
Don't even try to park here. Your best bet is to park a few blocks away and walk down.
OK I didn't want to say anything but the best part about Capitola is it's pretty much one of the only beaches you can drink at all day and you will never be caught for drinking in public. The cops are always looking for drunks at the bar or ticketing people. The last 2 summers a few other local beaches that were the spot to drink at got busted and now Capitola is the shpot.
P.S. If you come to Santa Cruz please try to refrain from saying "Hella."
Thank you.
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This So.Cal girl needs her beach fix--and she needs it often. And yes, I understand the beaches in Northern California are "different" than So.Cal. But hey, that doesn't stop Capitola Beach from bringing me that overall calm and happy-feel that only a great cool-beachy-breeze can do.
The area is always filled with local residents with kids and pups walking around. The neighboring restaurants are always fun--including a few options for wine tasting. The sandy beach area is relatively small but is quite clean--and the water is always filled with local surfers and sailboats. There are also a good number of benches if you just want to grab a seat and do some people watching. I personally love that area because of all of the hand painted tiles on the wall. :) http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Weather can turn pretty quick so always have a sweater handy.
Capitola also holds a very special place in my heart since the honey and I spent our first months of courtship here (*blush*) and have come back every year around the anniversary. :) This is a great place if you're looking for a little romantic spot on a budget. Pack a yummy picnic basket, vino, a blanket and grab your honey for a deluxe time.
Here are a few shots I snapped during our last visit:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
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I live 5 minutes walking to Capitola Beach, so it is obviously the beach I go to the most. Would I go here if I didnt live walking distance? No. It is a great, fun, happening place for out of towners, but you wont see many locals at this beach that dont live walking distance. The parking is awful, and the tourists get a little overwhelming for us local folk. Plus its not the cleanest beach.
If you are out of town- it is definately a fun place to come. There are a lot of restaurants, bars, and cute shops to mosey around through. The beach does get very crowded in the summer- which some people are looking for, and some are not. It is a great place for kids (Just please dont let them play in the toxic river!!)
If you are looking for a super clean, quiet beach, this is not the beach for you. I live 5 minutes away so I cant complain.
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A family and kid friendly beach. The sand's very rocky, typical of Northern California beaches. The best beaches I've ever been on are in Hawaii and St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. It was a gorgeous day to stroll on the beach and watch the surfers in the water. One guy on the small wharf caught a 15 lb. striped bass, it was really exciting to watch him reel it in and all the locals were remarking that it was the largest fish caught this year. Their pier is really small, like the muni pier in SF, unlike the huge wharf in Santa Cruz which has restaurants and shops.
Parking in the village area is restricted to 2 hr meters but there is a lot further away where you can park for unlimited time and walk into the village.
Capitola was home to the Soquel Indians who were relocated to Santa Cruz Mission. In the 1880's, Capitola became a beach resort. Capitola Village is where all the little shops are. Only a few blocks long, it has a variety of shops much like the ones you'd see in Larkspur, CA. Capitola was featured in a Sunset magazine (plastered in store windows and real estate offices) as one of 20 best small town to live in.
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I have many great memories on this beach. I agree it is very kid and pet friendly which is why it draws such a crowd. It's nice to see tourists and locals sharing the beach in harmony and enjoying each others company.
My parents use to take my brother and I here as kids and I always had a great time. This was also the same place where my husband surprised me with an engagement ring down on one knee on August 3, 2006...a day I will never forget.
Today we came by to reminisce this memory on the beach and enjoy the 84 degree weather! Can you believe it?! 84 degrees in the middle of November! Such a beautiful day!
Just remember....at night, even in the summertime, this beach gets very, very chilly. The view of Aptos and Monterey at night is amazing!
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No parking at all. So that takes off one star. Dogs everywhere making messes where ever they feel the need to. OOHH SICK! Seaweed all over the sand. No walking distance to stretch your legs. A river right through the middle of the beach that you can't cross.
A pier that is closed because they don't want the pelicans to get hurt. Lots of homeless-looking people sitting on the benches.
The only good thing is that it is a beach and you can sit and see the surf and there are a lot of restaurants and shops to shop in. I'll be reviewing those at a later date so get excited.
In summary, the town of Capitola is cool, the beach just all right.
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Reviewing this is weird. If you are in Capitola. and you go to the beach, you will obviously end up at this beach. That being said, with the grace of Capitola being a small town, this is a badass beach. Don't drive here.. walk here from wherever you are staying, ate lunch, etc. You will not park. Ever.
Dogs rock. They are welcome here.
Sooo cute, and I betray my gentler side with such silly descriptions.
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This is a CUTE little beach town unlike Santa Cruz. They have a lot of little cute shops and restaurants.
The beach itself is pretty small, but the sand is clean and nice and if you go during the week, you can easily find parking (don't forget to bring quarters for the meter). Capitola is really relaxing and you feel like you are miles and miles away from anywhere even remotely close to home!
This is definitely a place to take guests, or go there yourself, if you've never been!
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Capitola is a textbook example of what I mean when I say that Santa Cruz county has all the SoCal you'll ever need. Indeed, it reminds me a lot of my favorite beach from the old days, Laguna Beach--right down to the distant parking lots and shuttle buses. There's an extremely cute little village and a lagoon, (which several of the restaurant patios look out on), and a wharf with a beer-and-burger type place at the end. There's also a set of brightly-colored cabanas that look airlifted from the Caribbean (and yes, you can rent some of them). The beach itself is pretty compact, and is hemmed in by bluffs at either end.
It's also got one thing that SoCal hasn't got: a great view across to the Monterey Peninsula. When I look out at them it's almost like being up in Seattle again--except for the whole weather thing.
Insider's tip: If you're not up for one of the lagoon-side eateries, grab a picnic lunch from Gayle's on your way in and eat it on the beach.
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Small beach that is great for pets...even lazy bulldogs! Paradise in tiny little Norcal...paradise.
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Very picturesque. At low tide you can actually walk from cap beach to new brighton beach. Restaurants on the beach and one on the wharf. All around a great beach, but I do have 1 bad thing to say; don't swim there. Soquel creek flows into the bay right in the middle of this beach and there is a lot of sewage in the water. Check out the local free paper, Metro Santa Cruz. There should be a report on the fecal count on all area beaches. Check it out before you swim in the bay.
My 100th
My strawberry blond daughter turned 12 today. How many daughters are born on Friday at exactly, 5 pm, sharp, weigh 8lbs even & are 22" long, the 1st day appropriately of labor day weekend, on a sweltering +100 degree day. I won't go into details other than to say, I knew she was to be a girl and was more than a bit, not intimidated, not disappointed but wary, would probably best describe my feelings up until that day. The whole labor was a memorable, and quite funny occasion in retrospect. She came out reluctantly after first rearing her head to the world......
Finally, arriving in full, she wagged her clenched first, skewed up her face and howled, to let the world know she was here. Sporting short fiery red hair, hell, where had that come from? Great, great great Grandmother Garnet, the man-izing boozer of another time? Yikes, I might be in trouble!
Only to turn out as a loving peaceful baby, toddler, child and now on the verge of a young woman.
I sometimes feel guilty over the misgivings I had before her birth, but I have been truly blessed. Without her I wouldn't feel grounded, she is my side kick and has been with me since that momentous day 12 years ago...
So, with the longest, lead ins ever, for maybe one of my shortest reviews....
We went to Capitola for the 2ND consecutive year. We really love Capitola, the shops, the bars, the wharf the restaurants... The weather in September, a beautiful sunny 75, with a slight breeze from the salty ocean...Such a perfect day....
Other than the traffic. No wonder she was born with that rebellious red hair, and on the single, most busiest, 3 day weekends. I am sure she wanted to make sure we never forgot!
And those space invading foreigners, who inched and inched their way into less than my delegated 18" comfort zone... And eventually under my umbrella, hey! Get your own! And take off some clothes,...EWWW! Maybe not! Gorilla man... I know this great site where you can find some great waxing places... And have you tried Super Nany for that squalling brat that Gorilla man keeps foisting off to anyone...INCLUDING asking my 11 almost 12 year old cousin to baby-sit...WTF seriously!
So, other than that and the bad parking, (don't even get a ticket here, you will pay the devil), the signs stating contaminated H2O, and some of the visitors, Capitola is still remarkable. Remarkable enough to celebrate My lovely daughters birthday. We really ha a great time up until that last bit... And like her birth, I am sure, I will look back and laugh at that too..
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As far as beaches go this is a great beach for Nor *Calers. The parking can downright suck on weekends or on beautiful weekdays. Watch out for the two guys in wheelchairs. There's many places on the water to eat (Mr. Toots, Margaritaville, etc.) or hang. My rating is mainly for the physical beach itself. Its a great place to learn to body board or surf. The waves are usually beginner to intermediate, mostly beginner depending on the weather. When the tide is out you can go about 60 yards out without treading. In the summer there are lifeguard training camps going on all morning so its very busy. The beach has an open area with no cliff. It also has a small area to the south that has cliffs that makes it not so open.
If you forget to bring a beach chair or if you want to try paddling a long board, there's a convenient little rental store/tow hook up right behind the lifeguard tower near the outdoor showers.
It is a small place so you have to get there early. If the weather is really warm that can equal fog in mid to late summer. But it burns off quickly!
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